State GOP Dings Cuomo On Bridgegate, Corruption Arrests (Updated)

The state Republican Committee on Monday released a web ad that knocks Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the recent corruption arrests and for his name coming up in the “Bridgegate” trial of former aides to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The ad is the first of what are expected to be a range of salvos from state Republicans over these issues.

In the 30-second spot, Cuomo is criticized for his the arrests of his aides, though only one former top Cuomo administration official was arrested: Joe Percoco, a longtime ally of the governor. Another state official, former SUNY Polytechnic President Alain Kaloyeros, is also facing bribery and bid-rigging charges.

Meanwhile, the ad knocks Cuomo for helping on the “coverup” of the effort to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge, which prosecutors in New Jersey allege was out of political revenge by Chris Christie’s administration.

The claim relies on the testimony of David Wildstein, a key witness in the Bridgegate case.

Cuomo’s office has strenuously denied the governor played any role in case or discussing a never-released report that would have given an alternative reason for the lane closures, calling Wildstein an unreliable source given his own plea deal with prosecutors and that he heard the information second-hand.

Updated: Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi responds.

“This is yet another pathetic attempt by Ed Cox and his Nixonian henchmen ‎to distract from the fact that he, Rob Astorino and the rest of the New York GOP machine are all in for Donald Trump and his sinking anti-woman campaign for president. Peddling ‎lies based off hearsay testimony from a convicted felon is shameful, but not surprising from this crowd.”